Don't worry about the five year limit, that's a common fallacy and will not apply to you during your initial training and follow-on orders.

There are countless exemptions to the five-year rule and the only folks who really ever get into that clock are volunteering for mil duty they really didn't have to do.

None of your mandatory duty, including training, drills, annual training, involuntary deployments etc ever counts against the five years. You can do a full career, retire as a Col, and never touch a day of it, certainly never get close to endangering your civilian employment.

Make sure you're looking at everything OTHER than base pay... there are a lot of tax free allowances, plus flight pay which will push your net pay way above what you might think just by googling the pay chart. Research how it all works if you haven't already.

It's not going to be legacy pay (year 2+) but it's probably not as bad you think.

That sounds about right for a new LT, unless there’s a bonus or BAH is really high.

So not true! Tons of off the street hires at UPT when I was there. I say if flying fighters is what you want the go for it. I am an airline guy who went to UPT in a similar situation. I was a. Off the street hire. Good luck to you.

Your 31, late in any era generally to commence this childhood dream. Get commencing! Secondly, financially, are we talking childhood dreams? When your retired in your 70's, the dollar difference will not be your concern or issue. All that can be mitigated enroute.

Don't act now, you will realize you chose unknown dollars over your childhood dream and regret it. I haven't succeeded at everything I tried, but I have no regrets either. A great place to live my life.

As pointed out, USERRA protects your service. Training and all those training years are exempt. Have a few pilots out for 7-9+ years for military who are not trying to take advantage of airline or military. (they lose money in the money column but are living financially comfortably)

Take the legacy job in 2 months, will take awhile to get the waivers, unit, etc and may have your probationary year done anyway before leaving for training. When you come back, your pay rate will be USERRA benchmark as if you never left. Your seat will be determined by your seniority (as if you never left). So you essentially pick up where your new hire classmates are at in their career at legacy airline. the bucks in between? You will have enough to live and make it happen. If single, easy. If family, make sure the important people are with you. Best journeys!

I can't tell you how much money you and your family require, good on you for considering that. How does that compare to your current job?

Keep in mind, you'd have an ever climbing seniority number the whole time you'd be on orders. When you did return, it would be to a nice situation. At DL at least, you'd also be pulling in 401k and profit sharing while out. Don't know the particulars of the other airlines, but I'm sure you'd be getting retirement contributions to some degree. You need to throw that into your math.

You're in your early 30s, after you're back at the airline for a year or two, how much will you have missed the difference in pay? Money is money, but if you can pay the bills on your mil salary, will that be enough to tide you over till you come back, on 5th+ year pay?

You don't have a dilemma till you're at an airline with a UPT offer to consider.

Only you can decide how much your childhood dream is worth (well, and your family). I love my job but wouldn't trade any of my military time for a lower seniority number.